The Jar

Jesus, as I join You today on Your journey to the cross, prepare my heart to participate with You in the dark shadows of Good Friday and the bright dawn of Easter Sunday.

Pause and pray

It is four days before Jesus’ death. He is relaxing in Bethany, just outside Jerusalem. Something shocking and prophetic is about to take place.

Read: Matthew 26:6–13

The perfume poured out on Jesus’ head in this story was astoundingly precious; made, according to the Gospels of Mark and John, from pure nard, which comes from a plant that only grows in the Himalayas. It had travelled 3,500 miles, and it was worth 300 denarii – a year’s wages – and yet it was all emptied out upon Jesus’ head. The extravagance is breathtaking. The whole house was filled with its fragrance. Jesus’ body may still have been carrying hints of this very scent upon the cross.

What is the most valuable thing I could pour out upon Jesus today? Is He inviting me to waste some of my precious time in worship, or to relinquish a particular relationship, or to surrender something I own – in order to demonstrate my love for him?

Pause and pray

When the disciples were discussing how to feed the five thousand people, Philip pointed out that it would cost more than 200 denarii to do so. This little jar of perfume worth 300 denarii could have fed more than five thousand people. No wonder the disciples were indignant and said that it could have fed the poor.

Does my passion for justice and my desire for results sometimes make worship seem self-indulgent? How might I waste a little money, efficiency, or credibility for Christ’s glory today?

Pause and pray

We often talk about Jesus anointing us to do great things, but in this story, we see that we can anoint Jesus too. The name Jesus Christ literally means Jesus the ‘anointed one’. As we begin this journey towards Easter, let us anoint Him as our Christ with the costly sacrifice of exorbitant gratitude.

Jesus, I love You with all my heart, all my soul and all my strength. But I’m sorry that, so often I give You the least of my time, the last of my money, and the leftovers of my worship. This week, I want to pour the best of myself out for You, knowing that You will soon pour out Your very life for me.
Amen.